Flying with Holiday Gifts

Pineapple Travel this month features  Flying with Holiday Gifts.

If you’re flying this holiday season – whether to visit family, spend time with friends or just to get away–it’s possible you might be traveling with gifts for loved ones. However, taking gifts with you may not be as easy as you think. The good news is that you have some options.

If your gifts are large or heavy, shipping them may be the best choice. You won’t have to figure out how to carry them with you into the airport, or pay extra baggage charges. Just ship your gifts in advance so that they will arrive at your destination by the time you do.

If your gifts are small or fragile, and you definitely want to carry them with you, be sure not to wrap them. The Transportation Safety Administration reserves the right for its security officers to open any wrapped package to take a closer look. To make sure your beautiful holiday paper and ribbons don’t go to waste, fold and pack them–along with some collapsible boxes and tape–and do your wrapping after you arrive. If you’re bringing along a pair of scissors to cut your wrapping paper, it must go in a checked bag since it is not allowed on board.

If the gifts you want to carry with you include your famous homemade salsa or your grandmother’s favorite perfume, note that these and other liquid, aerosol or gel gift items are limited to no more than 3.4 ounces each. Any food items that you purchase in the airport after the security checkpoint have been pre-screened and can be taken on the plane with you.

Another idea is to provide gifts that are very easy to take with you on airline flights: gift certificates. More and more, retailers are offering gift cards and gift certificates in any denomination. If you want to give the gift of travel, but want to leave the decision for what to give up to your loved one, consider providing them a gift certificate from us!